About Me

I am a sometimes-writer, everyday mama, creative failure and experimental cook. I am interested in living a beautiful life, spending time with my family and making things that I can feel proud of. When I'm by myself I'm usually outside. Don't bother calling because chances are that I didn't bring my cell phone because I couldn't find it. If you see me walking, it's because I lost my keys and if you see me with only one child... I'm probably in big trouble.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Tomato Plants

Yesterday I was out at the dollar store and saw that they had tomato plants. I grabbed three of them and planted them straightaway.

I have never grown tomatoes but I've always wanted to.

I did not plant them in the ground. Instead, I planted them in a large pot and suspect that they are just a little bit too close together. I'm hoping that this won't be a problem.

The little stick that they came with says that they may need to be staked. After watching several youtube videos, I'm still not sure that I know how to stake a tomato plant.

Let me get this straight: I am going to go out and buy three pieces of wood, all between 3 and 5 feet tall. Then, I'm going to HAMMER them into the soil next to my tomato plant and TIE the plant to the wood? Seriously? This seems like crazy talk.

Being that they are a little close together, should I buy wire and make a cage? What will happen if I do nothing at all?

Any advice is welcome.

I am pleased to say that my pepper plants have really taken off. I was momentarily sad because the little white flower that had blossomed on the biggest pepper plant turned brown and died before it could fully open. I realized that I had watered it too much and gave it a three day break. Now it is covered in little white flowers that are all open and appear to be healthy!

2 comments:

It is not too late to plant watermelon - in fact I'm planting from seed, and still don't have them in the ground.

Regarding tomatoes - spacing is critical, but it's more about sun penetration and room for growth. Always keep in mind that anything you plant will be competing for nutrients with the other nearby plants, so the closer they are together, the less food there is for each of them.

Tomatoes need to be staked and caged, and always do best in the ground. They are thick-stemmed vines that will sprawl across the ground unless they are staked and forced to grow up. The reason you want them to grow up is because having your tomatoes on the ground exposes the fruit to pests, rot, and a general lack of sunshine that is necessary for healthy fruit production. Last year, my tomatoes each grew between 8-10 feet tall - I managed to support their vertical growth up to about five feet, and then they fell over the side of their cages and grew back down. Of course, much of this depends on variety - modern hybrids tend to be small, squat plants that do OK in pots, but the older hybrids as well as pretty much every heirloom will grow and grow until the weather kills them. Check out that garden blog I suggested - she's got a great setup for tomatoes, and also some good pictures to show you exacly how huge and wild tomatoes can get in the garden.